Center of Mass Problems Name ________________________

AP Physics C

1. A 60 kg woman and a 90 kg man are standing 10 meters apart on frictionless ice.

a. How far from the woman is the center of mass of the system?

6m

b. If they hold on to the two ends of a rope, and the man pulls the rope so he moves 2 meters, how
close is he to the woman now?

5m

c. How far will the man have moved when he collides with the woman?

2m
Center of Mass Problems Name ________________________
AP Physics C

2. Three people are standing on the sidewalk as shown below.

M1= 70 kg M2=60 kg M3= 82 kg

2m 4m

a. Determine the coordinate of the center of mass for the three people, assuming x = 0 is where the 70
kg person is standing.

x = 2.88 m

b. The person of mass 82 kg starts sprinting to the right at a speed of 3 m/s. Find the velocity of the
center of mass.

v = 1.16 m/s

c. Assume now that at the exact same time the 82 kg person starts running, the 70 kg person starts
moving left with a speed of 6 m/s, while the person in the middle stays at rest. Determine the
velocity of the center of mass of the three people.

v = -0.82 m/s
Center of Mass Problems Name ________________________
AP Physics C

3. Consider the following mass distribution: 5 kg at (0,0), 3 kg at (0,4) and 4 kg at (3,0). All coordinates
are measured in meters. Where should a fourth mass of 8 kg be placed so that the center of mass of
the arrangement is at (0,0)?

(-1.5, -1.5)